Oh, how I wish Gregor Jordan’s The Informers was a sequel to John Ford’s The Informer, a 1935 drama in which a big stupid Irishman named Gypo (Victor McLaglen) squeals on an associate for a reward and proceeds to blow the newfound cash in loud, clumsy, brawling fashion all over town (thus drawing the attention of the criminals he’s implicated). It’s not classic Ford, but McLaglen’s bruising performance is a must-see in its own right.
So the idea of multiple McLaglens tearing up pubs all over modern day Dublin as revenge for the finale of The Informer gets my Irish (half) up. Unfortunately, multiple McLaglens do not appear to figure into Gregor Jordan’s The Informers, which is based on some short stories by Bret Easton Ellis. Variety describes The Informers as "set over the course of a week in 1983, in the chillingly nihilistic world of Ellis’ youth in Los Angeles. Seven storylines intersect, involving movie execs, rock stars, a vampire and other morally challenged characters." In other words, it’s about the week Stroker Ace opened.
The Informers has been in development for a year or so; Nicholas Jarecki – whose profile of James Toback, The Outsider, is well worth seeing – co-wrote the screenplay with Ellis, and now they’ve assembled a pretty solid cast. Billy Bob Thornton (who’s enjoying an awful 2007) and Kim Basinger are set to topline this ensemble drama, which will also feature Austin Nichols, Ashley Olsen, Lou Pucci and Brandon Routh (which should cover his rent through December).
The Informers will begin shooting this October. Senator Entertainment is producing. Victor McLaglen, if he were alive, would be punching you in the face.